


Shine

by Nocturnalsky13



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Canon, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Holiday Fic Exchange, Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-18 08:50:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21941431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nocturnalsky13/pseuds/Nocturnalsky13
Summary: Noctis returns from a decade in the crystal with a new understanding and appreciation for things, including a certain someone who has always been around.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31
Collections: FFXV Creators' Haven, FFXV Holiday Gift Exchange 2019





	Shine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Crazyloststar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyloststar/gifts).



> Crazyloststar requested an alternate Promptis holiday fic where Noctis has survived the Dawn. I hope you enjoy! Happy holidays and a Happy New Year!

The office wing of the Capitol building was unusually quiet, all government duties postponed until after the holidays. But coming through an open doorway at the far end of the west towers, a cheerful humming could be heard wafting past the ornate balustrades lining both sides of the royal halls. Noctis was putting the final touches on holiday gifts, wrapping them in shiny blue paper. The same colors as the eyes that always seemed to be on the forefront of his mind lately. The clock clicked on the hour, clanging out four times when he realized he was late. Again. Ten years in the crystal had distorted his sense of time, so much that it had become a sort of handicap, as well as a running joke. Ignis had linked their phone schedules so he'd always know when his meetings were. Gladio would casually show up at his office door early to make sure he was on time, because "a King should never keep his subjects waiting." Prompto would just laugh at him, hinting at getting him a watch that wasn't running on "crystal time."

Noctis quickly placed the presents in a backpack, closed the door behind him, and took off in a sprint. He flew past the elevators, taking a shortcut through the Hall of History. It was the day before the Winter Solstice, a time of old traditions exuding opulence and grandeur. The Citadel was decked out in gold ribbons and wreaths, polished windows strung up in pine and cranberry garland, and fresh cedar and birch boughs adorning every empty vase and planter. "Smells like Dad’s cologne,” Noctis thought, his boot heels echoing off of the floor as he ran. Gilded framed portraits aligned the walls, royal predecessors dressed in their finery, each standing in front of the Lucian crest. Like a reflex, he skidded to a halt at the last one, black streaks from his soles marking the pristine marble.

“Oh, shit, the cleaning crew is gonna kill me.”

He almost kept on going, but the green eyes staring back at him from the canvas guilted him into taking the responsible route. It certainly wasn't the first time.

“Sorry, Dad,” he bent down and wiped the floor with his sleeve as the most remarkable likeness of King Regis watched his every move. Over ten years later, and that look still reduced him to a petulant teenager. But Noctis often wondered what his father would think of the changes that had been made in the Crown City after its fall. Insomnia had been rebuilt, the Citadel restored to its former glory with one huge difference. There was no longer a need for a throne room.

It’s stately staircases now led up to the dormitories of Lucis Academy, a children’s sanctuary for those without a proper home. At first, it was for the kids left parentless after the attack on the Capitol and its surrounding cities. And through the years that had passed, they had taken in any child in need, giving them a warm bed, clothing, meals, proper schooling, and most importantly, love and guidance.

Noctis had returned to take his rightful place as heir, but the responsibility of an entire kingdom no longer rested on the shoulders of just one person. He knew the sacrifices of carrying such a heavy weight first hand. Ignis had proposed a new type of government. A “constitutional monarchy,” he called it, where a parliamentary system was put in place; appointed officials working together to uphold a new set of laws. Ones that valued liberty, justice, equality and individual freedoms for all citizens. All while Gladiolus maintained a military presence to protect their borders should any opposition arise.

As current King, Noctis acted as a symbol of national unity, sharing his power with the officers beside him. It was no surprise that Ignis was the first blind head of government in the history of Lucis. The Gods knew that Ignis was the brains behind most plans of action anyway. It also didn’t surprise him that while he was away, Ignis and Gladiolus had found comfort and solace in each other. The two opposites couldn’t be a more perfect match. What did amaze him, was his growing affinity for violet blue. Being surrounded by the shade in a state of stasis for a decade may have had a slight influence. But when he stepped out of the crystal it was still the first color he saw. That was the day the sun rose again, and familiar sparkling eyes welcomed him home.

Noctis' phone buzzed in his pocket. He knew it was Prompto without even looking. “Sorry, sorry, sorry," he apologized out loud as he fished around for his cell.

" _Where are you? It's starting."_

Noct could hear Prom’s slight disappointment, even in his text. He could see hands raking through messy blonde hair, and those eyes that he had grown so fond of shining like kaleidoscopes, reflecting the stained glass windows of the penthouse.

" _Running late, sorry!"_

“ _I’ve waited ten years, what’s another ten minutes?_ ”

Noctis smirked, stuck his cell back in his pocket, and scrambled to his feet. He knew Prompto would forgive him. “Gotta go, Dad, talk to ya later,” Noctis rushed around the corner. He was supposed to be upstairs half an hour ago.

He sprinted up the stairs two at a time until he reached the highest point of the west tower and opened the door to their apartment. Prompto was standing at the wall of windows, gazing out at the Crown City skyline, when Noctis joined him. He wrapped both arms around Prom’s shoulders from behind as the first splashes of tangerine streaked across a cloudless palette of blue. “Made it just in time,” Noct whispered against Prompto’s neck, placing soft kisses to his pale skin.

The sun began its golden hour, soft light glimmering through the glass. It was a night so clear that beyond the stately spires of the Citadel, the Sleeping Mountains could be seen in the far distance. The near frozen waters surrounding Insomnia reflected upwards into the sky, mirroring the sun as it floated above the landscape, slowly making its nightly descent.

Whenever they weren't too busy with their own daily tasks, Noctis and Prompto had made it a ritual to watch the sunset together. They vowed to stop and take pause, to show respect and appreciation for the sacrifices made to restore light to Eos. After years of living in darkness, when parts of the Capitol were reduced to rubble, its soldiers tattered and exhausted, their hope never wavered. Now, in a time of peace, they could reflect upon how they wanted to live the rest of their days. After all they had been through, they knew one thing for certain. They would endure another decade of darkness as long as they were together.

“Hey, you never said why you were late, is everything okay? Or were you just stuck in the crystal?” Prom chuckled, pulling Noct’s arms tighter around himself, his lips grazing the bare skin peeking out from his shirtsleeves.

“Ha, really funny, but if you have to know, I was wrapping your presents.”

“I wasn’t kidding about waiting ten years, ya know. Finally being here with you is enough of a present for me," Prompto whispered, leaning back into Noct, their reflections in the glass smiling back at them.

"Well, I guess I'll return them all then… it's a shame I won't get a chance to beat your chocobutt at the anniversary edition of Kings Knight."

"Hey, you ruined the surprise! And I am so gonna kick your…wait, did you just call me a chocobutt?" Prompto pretended he was offended. He tried to wiggle out of Noctis’ arms only to be pulled in tighter as Noct rest his head on Prom’s shoulder.

"It's only one of your gifts anyway and shhh, you're missing the sunset." Noctis gestured his chin towards the window as the crimson sky glowed with soft golden layers, slowly dipping below the horizon, bathing the cityscape in a pink afterglow. Now that the wall was destroyed and the magic of the crystal gone, the brilliance of the sky was even more spectacular.

"That never gets old." Prompto sighed.

“Neither does this,” Noctis turned Prom around, gently lifting his chin with two fingers, as dreamy, expectant eyes stared back at him. Ones that closed as their lips met in the sweetest of kisses, tender and soft as the waning sun. “Mmmmm, you taste like gingerbread,” Noctis murmured, running his tongue along Prompto’s bottom lip until every nerve ending came alive.

“I may have sneaked a little taste… don’t tell Iggy,” Prom managed to answer, a breathy plea between kisses. Noct backed him up into the couch until all Prompto could do was let it catch him as he fell. Noctis joined him, straddling his waist as his arms caged him in on both sides. Prom let his head fall back and moaned when Noctis continued a trail down his jawbone to the dip between his neck and shoulder.

Noctis smiled against blushed, freckled skin, breathing in the softness and sunshine that always seemed to radiate from somewhere deep inside the beautiful soul before him. To be with the one person that could make him see every color of the rainbow even on the bleakest of days was the greatest gift he could have ever been given. He felt Prompto shiver underneath him and pulled back.

“Are you cold?” the concerned look on Noctis’ face came from a deep-seated guilt that had resurfaced, images of Prom thrown off a train and lost in the snow.

“Not.That. Kind. Of. Cold.” Prom managed to mutter, grabbing Noct by the shirt collar and flipping on top of him. “My turn,” he practically growled. Relieved, Noctis relaxed underneath him as Prompto took the lead.

Prom started at the hollow of Noct’s throat, planting kisses as he moved lower and lower, unbuttoning his dress shirt along the way. “There is definitely nothing cold about this,” Noctis thought, his half lidded eyes watching Prompto reach the last button of his dress shirt, yanking the rest out of his pants. Noct held his breath when Prom's hands reached his belt buckle, just as the timer buzzed in the kitchen.

“Damn it, the cookies are done,” Prom grumbled, his lips swollen and as pink as his skin. He scrambled to stand up, “don’t you move,” he held one finger up to Noctis’ lips.

“And this is why I hate time… I’m afraid we’ll have to wait til later, it’s almost 5:00. Gladdy and Iggy will be over with the kids soon. Let me help you.”

“Hey, did you just read the clock? There’s hope for you yet. Besides, we have the rest of our lives.” Prompto smiled. He helped Noct up and dragged him to the kitchen, never letting go of his hand.

“I’m making my gingerbread man a soldier, with buttons all the way down both sides like the old Kingsglaive Garb… I figure, the more icing, the better…” Prompto rambled on excited as a child as they took the cookies out of the oven and set them up to cool. “The kids are gonna love this.”

As director of Lucis Academy, Prompto had brainstormed a plan to have a special holiday evening just for children. A night that would show them what it was like to be part of a family. It didn’t take a lot of convincing on Noctis’ part. He’d forego the stuffy display of aristocracy any day. So he sanctioned the plan, moving the Solstice ball to New Year’s eve, and gave Prompto free reign for the arrangements. They invited the kids over for cookie decorating, hot cocoa, and story time.

“Iggy said that if they’re not cooled right away, they’ll be hard enough to break a tooth. They should be hard around the edges and soft in the middle if we do this right.”

“Just like Gladio,” Noctis chuckled.

“Hey, I heard that Princess…” Gladiolus poked his head in the kitchen, “you’re lucky there’s children here, or I’d kick your ass.”

“Language!” Ignis scolded from the dining room.

“Sorry, Iggy.” three voices called in unison.

A couple of hours later, the sweet smells of molasses, ginger, and cinnamon still lingered in the penthouse. The night couldn't have been more perfect. To see the wonder and excitement of the kids filled Noctis with gratitude and hope. And just like a child, he had a sense of rebirth, his greatest gift in the form of second chances. He stood at the windows again, gazing at the billions of winter stars lighting up the night sky, each one seemingly brighter than the next. Shining as bright as the innocence on the children’s faces when they finally tucked them in their beds. Dazzling, like the smile on Prompto’s face whenever he is around them, answering a calling that made him happy and proud. Twinkling, like the clinking of glasses and easy laughter that filled the apartment that night. Aglow, like the soft touches and whispered words he witnessed between Ignis and Gladiolus. Radiant, like the bond he felt with them, a brotherhood stronger than blood. And blazing, like his love for Prompto, warming him up on the coldest days and making his soul sing.

“Hey, whatcha thinking about?” Prom quietly joined him.

Noctis took both of Prom’s hands in his and brought them up to his lips. He grinned as the pale skin on Prompto’s neck turned a beautiful shade of pink, “You’re amazing, ya know… you have the biggest heart.”

“Well, it’s all yours, your Majesty,” he may have accidentally whispered out loud. Prom had held onto hope, carrying a light in his heart for ten long years that this day might actually come, and it still felt like a dream.

“As mine is yours,” Noctis leaned into Prompto, meeting his lips in the softest of kisses. “And as your King, I am ordering you to bed. You're the first present I wanna unwrap tonight,” his mischievous smile chased Prom into their bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes in their wake.

Warm limbs wrapped around Noctis, Prompto's lips pressed against his shoulder as he drifted in the hazy space between the awakened and the dream world. It was in this state that he'd often talk to his father. At first, his requests were full of uncertainty, a plea for guidance in ways of leadership, government, and the ways of Eos. Asking King Regis for signs that he was doing the right thing, making proper decisions, or going down the right path. But tonight was the first time Noctis didn't ask for help or understanding. Tonight, he just wanted to let his father know that he finally understood the connection between love and light. He wanted him to know how happy he was. Maybe he imagined the familiar scent of cedar and pine suddenly drift into the room, filling his mind with peace and calm. But as Noctis finally let go, nodding off into a deep and restful sleep, he had a feeling that he knew.


End file.
